Data indicating means



1954 c. F. RENCH DATA INDICATING MEANS Original Filed Dec. 1?, 19'49 mwm INVENTOR CARL. F. RENCH Hi8 ATTORNEYS the distinctive potential applied thereto.

- variations in the potential "having ten potential points corresponding to United States Patent 2,697,551 DATA INDICATING MEANS Carl F. Rench, Troy, Ohio, assignor to The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Original application December 17, 1949, Serial No. 133,540. Divided and this application March 14, 1951, Serial No. 215,484

9 Claims. Cl. 235-92 This invention relates to data indicating means and in particular to a novel control therefor.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 133,540, which was filed December 17, 1949, and which issued on April 1, 1952, as Patent No. 2,591,007.

The indicating means to which this invention pertains is of the type in which a plurality of data-representing potential points are sensed for the one having a potential which is distinctive from the rest and in which a control means is operated in response to the sensing of the distinctive potential to cause a manifesting device to make apparent that datum corresponding to the point having Since the control of the manifesting device is dependent upon a particular potential being sensed which is difierent from the others, novel compensating means is provided in the .control means to take into account variations in the potential supply from which the potentials at the datarepresenting points are derived, thereby to enable the control means to operate properly regardless of any supply.

In order to explain the arrangement and operation of the indicating means and its novel controls, they will be described in connection with the reading of digit values standing in an electronic accumulator of the type made up of four cascaded trigger pairs in each denominational order which operate alternately to on and off conditions and which can count in the decimal notation and represent different digits by combinations of on and off conditions of the four trigger pairs. The trigger pairs of each order are coupled to a resistance network the ten digits which may be represented by the on and off conditions of the trigger pairs, and the trigger pairs control the potential of the points so that only that point will have a distinctive potential which corresponds to the digit represented by the particular combination of on and olf conditions of the trigger pairs.

The manifesting means which is disclosed to explain the invention is a numeral bearing wheel which is rotated in s'ynchronism with the sensing means to bring numerals to printing position as corresponding potential points are sensed. The control means is controlled by the sensing means to arrest the wheel when the sensing means senses a digit-representing point having the distinctive potential, the wheel being arrested with the numeral corresponding to the digit-representing point in reading position. Inasmuch as the potentials of the points in the resistance network are derived from the cascaded trigger pairs, the control means, which controls the position of the digitmanifesting means and the sensing switch and which has the potentials of the points of the network applied thereto by the sensing switch, has a compensating means to insure against misoperation due to variations in potentials applied to the cascaded trigger pairs. This compensating means makes the operation of the readout and digitmanifesting means very stable and insensitive to variations in. supply potentials.

It is an object of the invention to provide a data-indicating means, which is controlled by a distinctive potential on one of a plurality of data-representing potential points, with compensating means to compensate in the control of the indicating means for variations in the potential supplied to the potential points and fromwhich the distinctive potential is derived, whereby to provide a stable and accurate control for the indicating means.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a means.

237 of 47,000 ohms to for indicating amounts standing in an accumulator and to provide compensating means in the controls for the 1ndicating means to compensate for variations in voltage applied to the accumulator.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, a preferred'form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification.

The drawing shows a circuit diagram of a units denominational order of an accumulator and resistance network controlled thereby and also shows the indicating means and its control from the resistance network to enable the digit standing in the accumulator to be made apparent.

Detailed description In order that theinvention may be explained more fully, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described, in which description values of potential and circuit of elements, such as resistors and capacitors, will be given and types of tubes will be specified. It is not intended, however, to limit the invention to the embodiment described nor to limit the circuit values and tube types to those specified, because these are merely selected as illustrative. It is obvious that other potentials and/ or other similar tube types can be used and the circuit values of resistance and capacitance can be adjusted to maintain the proper relation between the various parts of the circuits. Throughout the circuit diagrams, the heater elements for the tubes are shown conventionally.

Accumulator Since each of the denominational orders of the accumulator operates in the same manner to provide distinctive indicating means control potentials for representing the digits which might be standing therein, only one denominational order of the accumulator, the units denominational order, and its related resistance network will be described. For further details of the accumulator reference may be had to the parent application, Patent No. 2,591,007, in which the accumulator is fully described.

This denominational order includes an electronic coupling device, an electronic tens transfer means, and a plurality of interrelated electronic devices capable of accumulating in the decimal notation, and representing, in combinational form, the units digit of said accumulation.

The coupling device is shown as a twin triode, tube 220, preferably of the type sold by Western Electric Company under the type designation 2C5l, though, as will appear later, only one of the triodes is utilized in the units order, the one for coupling the order of the accumulator to the corresponding denominational output conductor of the impulse generator. In the embodiment shown, there are no tens transfer entries to be made in the units denominational order of the accumulator, and accordingly the other of the triodes is not used to control entries therein.

Tube 220 has both of its anodes 221 and 222 connected together and over point 223 and resistor 224 of 47,000 ohms to conductor 225, to which a, potential of +250 volts is applied at terminal 226, and has its cathodes 227 and 228 and shield 219 grounded.

Grids 230 and 231 have biasing potential supplied thereto from a biasing potential supply circuit which extends to ground from conductor 232, to which a potential of volts is applied at terminal 233, over resistor 234 of 100,000 ohms and resistor 235 of 47,000 ohms, grid 230 being connected over point 236, and resistor point 238 in the bias potential supply circuit and grid 231 being likewise connected over a resistor 240 of 47,000 ohms to point 241 in the bias potential supply circuit. Point 241 is connected to ground over a stabilizing capacitor 242 of 500 micro-microfarads. The potential supplied to the grids normally biases both halves of the tube to cut-off.

The units denominational output conductor 122 of an impulse generator, such as shownfully in said parent application, Patent No. 2,591,007, is coupled over capacitor 243 of 250 micro-microfarads to grid 230, which controls conduction between anode 221 and cathode 227 of the left triode in the tube 220. Whenever a positive impulse of an impulse train is impressed on conductor 122, it will be effective to cause the triode, which is controlled by grid 230, to conduct and produce a potential drop at point 223 due to resistor 224 in its anode circuit.

In the units denomination of the accumulator, grid 231, which controls the right-hand triode of the tube 220, will have no transfer impulses applied thereto from a lower order, so this triode of the tube will remain biased to cut-off.

The potential drops which are produced at point 223 when conduction occurs in the tube are used to provide negative impulses to operate the interrelated devices of this denominational order for accumulating amounts. The interrelated devices consist of four trigger pairs connected in cascade and with selective feed-back circuits to enable them to accumulate values in the decimal notation and to represent the various digits of the notation by different combinations of on or off conditions of the trigger pairs.

As is well known, an electronic device known as a trigger pair consists of a pair of electron discharge tubes having interconnections therebetween to control their operation so that, at any given time, one of the tubes is conducting and the other tube is non-conducting, and the act of changing the conducting condition of one of the tubes will cause the conducting condition of the other of the tubes of the pair to change. With the circuit constants to be given herein, the trigger pairs will be relatively insensitive to positive impulses but will respond to negative impulses, so that a negative input impulse applied commonly to the tubes of the pair will cause reversal of the conducting and non-conducting condition of the tubes. The trigger pair may be made up of two separate tubes; however, in order to provide a more compact device, each of the cascaded trigger pairs in the disclosed embodiment of the invention is formed by interconnecting the two halves of a twin triode type of tube, preferably of the aforementioned 2C5l type.

The first trigger pair of the cascade will be that marked A, the second trigger pair will be B, the third trigger pair will be C, and the fourth and final trigger pair of the cascade will be D. The trigger pairs will be considered in their on condition when the left triode of the trigger pair is conducting and in their off condition when the left triode of the trigger pair is in non-conducting condition. The manner in which the trigger pairs represent the various digits can be seen from the following table, in which designates the off condition and X designates the on condition of a trigger pair.

Digit wotaobqot tobto MMOQNMOOMM MMMNNNMMOO MNNNoooooo Trigger pair A is the first trigger pair of the cascade and is operated by impulses impressed thereon from the coupling device, tube 220. The left triode 245 of the trigger pair has its anode 246 connected over resistor 247 of 47,000 ohms to the +250-volt conductor 225 and has 1ts cathode 248 connected directly to ground. Similarly, the right triode 250 of the trigger pair has its anode 251 connected over resistor 252 of 47,000 ohms to the +250- volt conductor 225 and has its cathode 253 directly connected to ground.

Grid 255 of the Left triode 245 is connected to a negative bias supply over point 256, resistor 257 of 150,000 ohms, and conductor 232, to which a potential of -75 volts is applied at terminal 233, and also is coupled to the anode 251 of the right triode 250 over a network containing resistor 258 of 200,000 ohms shunted by resistor 259 of 100 ohms in series with capacitor 260 of 150 micromicrofarads. In a similar manner, the grid 263 of the right triode 250 is connected to the negative bias supply over point 264 and resistor 265 of 150,000 ohms to conductor 266, which is connected over a reset switch 267 to conductor 232. Grid 263 is also coupled to the anode 246 of the left triode 245 over a network containing resistor 268 of 200,000 ohms shunted by resistor 269 of ohms in series with capacitor 270 of micro-microfarads.

Points 256 and 264 in the bias supply circuits for the grids 255 and 263 are coupled, respectively, over capacitors 275 and 276 of 25 micro-microfarads to a conductor 277, thence over resistor 278 of 47,000 ohms to the point 223 in the anode circuit of the coupling device, tube 220.

With the circuit constants given, trigger pair A will be responsive to negative impulses and will reverse the conducting status of the triodes therein each time a negative impulse is impressed on the grids of the triodes. Accordingly, the trigger pair will reverse its conducting status each time the coupling device responds to an impulse from the impulse generator and sends a negative impulse to the pair.

Trigger pair B, which is the second trigger pair of the cascade, is operated to reverse the conductive condition of the triodes therein in response to an impulse impressed thereon from trigger pair A when that pair goes from its "on condition to its off condition. Trigger pair B is also operated from its off condition to its on condition in response to a feed-back impulse from trigger pair D in a manner to be explained more fully hereinafter. The anodes 280 and 281, respectively, of the left triode 282 and the right triode 283 of this pair are connected over resistors 284 and 285 of 47,000 ohms, respectively, to the +250-volt conductor 225, and the cathodes are connected to ground.

Grid 286 of the left triode 282 is connected to negative bias supply by being connected over point 237 and resistor 288 of 150,000 ohms to conductor 266, and is also coupled to the anode 281 of the right triode 283 over a network containing resistor 290 of 200,000 ohms shunted by resistor 291 of 100 ohms in series with capac1tor 292 of 250 micro-microfarads. Grid 295 of the right tr ode 283 is connected to the negative bias supply over resistor 296 of 47,000 ohms, point 297, resistor 293, of 150,000 ohms, and conductor 266. Grid 295 is also coupled to the anode 280 of the left triode 282 over resistor 296 and resistor 299 of 200,000 ohms, resistor 299 being shunted by resistor 300 of 100 ohms in series with a capacitor 301 of 250 micro-microfarads.

Point 287 in the bias supply circuit to grid 236 is connected over resistor 304 of 47,000 ohms and capacitor 305 of 25 micro-microfarads to conductor 306, which extends to the anode 251 of the right triode 250 of trigger pair A. Point 297 in the bias supply circuit for grid 295 is also coupled to conductor 306 over a capacitor 307 of 25 micro-microfarads. Each time trigger pair A is operated to its off condition and the right triode 250 thereof conducts, a negative impulse will be sent over capacitors 304 and 307 to the grids 286 and 295 of the trigger pair B to cause a reversal of the conducting condition of the triodes therein.

Resistors 296 and 304 are isolation resistors, which are operative to control the effect of the feed-back impulse on trigger pair B and also cooperate with the rectifier in the feed-back circuit to enable rectifiers of the semiconductor or barrier-layer type having lower back impedance to be used and still prevent impulses from trigger pair B from causing improper operation of trigger pair D. The manner in which these resistors are operable to perform the above functions will be explained more fully hereinafter, when the feed-back circuit and its operation are explained.

Trigger pair C, which is the third trigger pair of the cascade, is operated to reverse the conducting condition of the triodes therein in response to an impulse from trigger pair B when that pair goes from its on condition to its off condition. Trigger pair C is also operated from its off condition to its on condition in response to a feed-back impulse from trigger pair D in a manner to be explained more fully hereinafter. The circuit arrangement and circuit constants for trigger pair C are identical with those of trigger pair B and will not be repeated.

Trigger pair D, which is the last trigger pair in the cascade, is operated by impulses impressed thereon from trigger pair C and is effective to send feed-back impulses selectively to trigger pairs B and C and to send an impulse to a tens transfer means to prepare itfor a tens transfer operation.

The left triode 310 of trigger pair D has its anode 311 connected over point 312, resistor 313 of 22,000 ohms, point 314, and resistor 315 of 22,000 ohms to the +250 volt conductor 225 and has its cathode connected to ground. In a like manner, the right triode 316 has its anode 317 connected over point 318, resistor 319 of 22,000 ohms, point 320, and resistor 321 of 22,000 ohms to the +250-volt conductor 225, and has its cathode connected to ground.

Grid 325 of the left triode 310 is connected to the negative bias supply over point 326, resistor 327 of 150,000 ohms, and conductor 232, and is also coupled to the anode 317 of the right triode 316 over resistor 328 of 200,000 ohms, shunted by resistor 329 of 100 ohms in series with capacitor 330 of 250 micro-microfarads. Similarly, the grid 335 of the right triode 316 is connected to the negative bias supply over point 336, resistor 337 of 150,000 ohms, and conductor 266. Grid 335 is also coupled to the anode 311 of the left triode 310 over resistor 338 of 200,000 ohms, shunted by resistor 339 of 100 ohms, in series with capacitor 340 of 250 micromicrofarads.

Points 326 and 336 in the bias potential supply circuits of grids 325 and 335, respectively, are coupled over capacitors 341 and 342 of 25 micro-microfarads to conductor 343, which extends to the anode of the right triode of trigger pair C and enables a negative impulse to be impressed on the grids 325 and 335 each time trigger pair C turns from its on condition to its oil condition.

A feed-back circuit extends from point 320 in the anode circuit for the right triode 316 of trigger pair D, over capacitor 345 of 150 micro-microfarads, point 346, rectifier 347, which is, for example, a germanium crystal diode of the type sold by Western Electric Company under the type designation WE400B, and conductor 348 to the grid 295 of the right triode 283 of the trigger pair B. The rectifier 347 is oriented to pass negative feed-back pulses from the trigger pair D to the trigger pair B and to prevent negative impulses on grid 295 from being transmitted to trigger pair D. Point 346 in the feed-back circuit is connected to ground over a resistor 349 of 470,000 ohms to provide a leakage path to discharge capacitor 345.

The above feed-back circuit and its related circuits cooperate in the following manner to make it possible to use crystal diodes instead of vacuum tube diodes in the feed-back circuit. In the circuit arrangement shown, the feed-back impulse is applied directly to grid 295, and the isolation resistors 296 and 304 are in series between the feed-back circuit and grid 286 of the left triode 282. These resistors reduce materially the effect of the negative feed-back impulse on grid 286 and the triode 282 controlled thereby. By thus attenuating the efiect of the feed-back impulse on the left triode, the effect of the potential change of anode 281 on grid 295 will be greater and a smaller-amplitude feed-back impulse applied directly to the grid 295 of the right triode will be'a's effective to reverse the operation of the pair as the larger-amplitude impulse applied in common to the triodes of the pair from the preceding trigger pair of the cascade. This enables the feed-back impulse to be taken from the midpoint of the resistance in the anode circuit for the right triode 316 of trigger pair D, at point 320, instead of directly from the anode at point 318. With the feed-back impulse taken from point 320 by connecting the feed-back circuit thereto, resistor 319 is placed in series between the feed-back circuit and the anode 317 of the triode 316 and attenuates the eifect on anode 317 and grid 325, coupled thereto, of any impulses transmitted from trigger pair B. Similarly, resistor 296 in the circuit to grid 295 of the right triode of trigger pair B will attenuate impulses applied to the grid 295 from anode 280 of the left triode 282 of trigger pair B, and also from anode 251 of right triode 250 of trigger pair A, and, consequently, will attenuate the effect of impulses from these sources on the feed-back circuit, which is connected directly to grid 295. The above attenuating eflects of resistors 296 and 319 are cumulative and are effective in the circuit arrangement to enable crystal rectifiers of the semi-conductor or barrier-layer type, whichcan be much smaller but which have lower back resistance than vacuum tube rectifiers, to be used in the feed-back circuit without causing improper operations to take place.

A similar feed-back circuit extends from the rmdpomt 314 of the anode resistance network for the left triode 310 of trigger pair D, over capacitor 355- and rectifier 356, to the grid of the right triode of trigger pair C, and enables the turning of trigger pair D on to send a negative feed-back impulse to trigger pair C to turn it from off to on.

The manner in which the various trigger pairs are operated in combinations to represent digits of the decimal notation will now be explained in an operation in which ten impulses are sent to the denomination to operate it through a complete cycle and return it to starting condition. As shown in the tabulation given earlier herein, the zero or starting condition of the trigger pairs of the denomination is that in which trigger pairs A, C, and D are in off condition, with their right triodes conducting, and trigger pair B is in its on condition, with its left triode conducting. All input impulses to the denomination are applied to the coupling device, tube- 220, which in turn applies them to trigger pair A, the first trigger pair of the cascade.

The first impulse applied to trigger pair A changes it from its off condition to its on condition, so that the trigger pairs A and B will be on" and trigger pairs C and D will be off to represent the digit 1.

The second impulse applied to trigger pairA change it from on to off. As trigger pair A goes from on to oil, it sends an impulse to trigger pair B, which turns trigger pair B from on to 011, and trigger pair B, in going from on to off, sends an impulse to trigger pair C to turn it from off to on. At the end of this entry, trigger pairs A, B, and D are off, and trigger pair C is on, to represent the digit 2.

The third impulse applied to trigger pair A merely changes that pair from oil to on. At the end of this entry, trigger pairs A and C are on and trigger pairs B and D are off to represent the digit 3.

The fourth impulse applied to trigger pair A turns trigger pair A from on to off, and trigger pair A, in turning off, sends an impulse to trigger pair B to turn it from off to on. At the end of this entry, trigger pairs A and D are off and trigger pairs B and C are on to represent the digit The fifth impulse applied to trigger pair A merely turns this trigger pair from 01f to on and, at the end of this entry, trigger pairs A, B, and C will be on and trigger pair D will be off to represent the digit 5.

The sixth impulse applied to trigger pair A will turn this trigger pair from on to off, and, in turning from on to off, trigger pair A will send an impulse to trigger pair B to turn it from on to oil. The turning of trigger pair B to off will send an impulse to trigger pair C to turn it from on" to off, and trigger pair C, in turning to oil, will in turn send an impulse to trigger pair D to turn it from off to on. When the trigger pair D is turned from otF to on, a feed-back impulse is sent from the left triode of trigger pair D to the right triode of trigger pair C to cause trigger pair C to be turned on. At the end of this operation, trigger pairs A and B will be OE, and trigger pairs C and D will be on to represent the digit 6.

The seventh impulse applied to trigger pair A will merely turn trigger pair A from off to on, and, at the end of this entry, trigger pairs A, C, and D will be on and trigger pair B will be off to represent the digit The eighth impulse applied to trigger pair A will turn trigger pair A from on to off, and the turning of trigger pair A off sends an impulse to trigger pair B to turn trigger pair B from off to on. At the end of this entry, trigger pairs B, C, and D will be on, and trigger pair A will be off, to represent the digit 8.

The ninth impulse applied to trigger pair A will merely turn trigger pair A from ed to on, so that, at the end of this entry, all the trigger pairs will be on to represent the digit 9.

The tenth impulse which is applied to trigger pair A will turn trigger pair A from its on condition to its off condition, and trigger pair A in turning to its off condition, will send an impulse to trigger pair B to turn it from on to off. Trigger pair B, in turning to. its oil? condition, will send an impulse to trigger pair C to turn it from on" to off, and trigger pair C, in turning off, will send an impulse to trigger pair D to turn it from on to off. As trigger pair D is turned from on to off, the other feed-back circuit becomes effective, and an impulse is sent from the right triode 316 thereof to the grid 295 of the right triode of trigger pair B to turn the trigger pair B from off to on. At the end of this entry, the trigger pairs A, C, and D will be in off condition, and trigger pair B will be in on condition, which is the condition in which they were at the beginning of the entry of the ten impulses.

It is seen, therefore, that the cascaded trigger pairs of the denomination can be operated in combinations of on and off conditions to represent the digits 1 to 9 and 0, and can be returned to starting condition upon the application of ten impulses to the first trigger pair of the cascade.

Higher denominational orders of the accumulator will be similar to the above described order but in the higher orders the grid of the right triode of the coupling tube, as 220, will be connected to the transfer means of the next lower order to enable transfer entries to be made in the higher order each time the lower order exceeds its capacity.

Tens transfer means Tens transfer means are provided for the accumulator to make an entry of a value of one in the next higher order of the accumulator each time an order exceeds its capacity. Since the same type of transfer means couples adjacent denominational orders of the accumulator, the operation of the various transfer means will be clear from a description of the operation of the means coupling the units and tens denominational orders of the accumulator.

The transfer means includes a trigger pair which is operated from a normal conducting condition when the related denominational cascaded trigger pairs exceed their digital capacity and is effective to cause an entry in the next higher order when restored to normal condition.

The tens transfer trigger pair is shown as being made up of two halves of a twin triode, tube 375, preferably of the above-mentioned 2C5 1 type.

Anodes 376 and 377 of the left and right triodes of this trigger pair are connected, respectively, over resistors 378 and 379 of 47,000 ohms to the +250-volt conductor 225, and the cathodes of these triodes are connected to ground.

Grid 380 of the left triode is coupled to the negative bias supply conductor 232 over point 381 and resistor 382 of 150,000 ohms and also is coupled to anode 377 of the right triode by the trigger connection including resistor 383 of 200,000 ohms, shunted by resistor 384 of 100 ohms in series with capacitor 385 of 250 micromicrofarads. In a corresponding manner, grid 386 of the right triode is coupled to the negative bias supply conductor 266 over point 394 and resistor 387 of 150,000 ohms and also is coupled to anode 376 of the left triode by the trigger connection including resistor 388 of 200,000 ohms, shunted by resistor 389 of 100 ohms in series with capacitor 390 of 250 micro-microfarads.

When the accumulator is initially set in operation or is reset to zero, the tens transfer trigger pair is set in its normal condition, with the right triode conducting, as will be explained more fully hereinafter when the resetting operation is considered.

When a tens transfer is required, the cascaded trigger pairs of the denomination will cause the tens transfer trigger pair to operate to reverse its conducting status. This is accomplished in the following manner. As is seen from the tabulation given earlier herein, the trigger pair D will change from its on condition to its off condition only when the digit represented by the cascaded trigger pairs changes from 9 to 0. The drop across anode resistors 318 and 321 of the right triode of this trigger pair which occurs when the pair changes from on" to off is applied as a negative impulse to grid 386 of the right triode of the tens transfer trigger pair, over conductor 391, resistor 392 of 47,000 ohms, capacitor 393 of micro-microfarads, and point 394, and will cause the tens transfer trigger pair to be operated from its normal condition and reverse the conducting status of its triodes.

Negative tens transfer-effecting impulses are applied to the tens transfer trigger pair during the intervals between the occurrence of positive impulses on the output conductors, as 122, by means of a transfer-effecting impulse- CPI generator whose operation is synchronized with the impulse generator which supplies impulses over the output conductor 122 to the left side of the coupling device for entering digit values in the denomination of the accumulator. Such an impulse generator is fully disclosed in said parent application, Patent No. 2,591,007.

Each transfer-effecting impulse is transmitted over conductor 395, capacitor 396 of 25 micro-microfarads, and point 381 and is impressed as a negative impulse on grid 380 of the left triode to cause the trigger pair to reverse its conducting status and return to its normal condition if it had been operated from normal condition by a required tens transfer. If the tens transfer trigger pair is in its normal condition, the left triode will already be in nonconducting condition, and the negative transfer-effecting impulses applied to grid 380 will not have any effect on the trigger pair to change the status of conduction of its triodes; but, if the trigger pair has been changed from normal condition due to a required tens carry, then the left triode will be conducting and the negative transfereffecting impulse will render the left triode non-conducting, and, through the trigger action, will restore the pair to its normal condition. As the left triode becomes nonconducting, its anode potential becomes more positive, and this potential change is transmitted over conductor 400, resistor 401 of 47,000 ohms and conductor 372 to the grid of the right section of the coupling device in the next higher order to cause an impulse to be impressed on the cascaded trigger pairs of that order.

It is to be noted that, since the transfer entries are effected by impulses which are generated in the intervals be tween the times when digit-entry-eifecting impulses can be generated, transfer entries can be made at any time during or after a digit entry without interfering with the digit entry.

In a similar manner, other transfer means can be controlled from the trigger pairs D of their related orders and can be operated by transfer-effecting impulses to cause tens transfer entries to be made in appropriate higher orders.

Resetting In order to prepare the accumulator initially to receive entries or to reset it to its zero condition, reset switches, as 267, are provided in the negative bias supply circuits for the grids of the right triodes of trigger pairs A, C, and D and the left triode of trigger pair B. Momentary opening of the switches will remove negative bias potential from these grids and will cause the trigger pairs A, C, and D to be set in their 01f condition and trigger pair B to its on condition.

The transfer trigger pairs are also conditioned by the operation of the reset switches, which remove negative bias from the grids of the right triodes of these trigger pans and cause these trigger pairs to be set to their normal position, with the right triode conducting. This control of the transfer trigger pairs from the reset switches insures that these trigger pairs will always be set to their normal condition initially or after a resetting operation, and prevents any improper transfers from being made as a result of changing trigger pair D to its off condition in the initial setting or resetting operations.

Digit-manifesting me'ans Means are provided to manifest the digit values represented by the combinations of on and off conditions of the cascaded trigger pairs of the various denominational orders of the accumulator.

The manifesting means for each of the denominational orders are substantially the same, that for the units denominational order including a digit-manifesting wheel 411, a read-out scanning switch 412, and a notched element 413, which can rotate together and which are driven by a friction drive, shown diagrammatically at 414, until arrested by a stop pawl 415 engaging a notch in the element 413. For convenience in illustration, a separate friction drive is shown for the manifesting means in each denominational order, but it is obvious that a common driving means which is capable of frictionally driving the manifesting means in the various denominational orders could also be used.

Paul 415 is urged counter-clockwise about its pivot 416 by spring 417 into engaging relation with the notches in element 413 to arrest the scanning switch and the manifesting wheel 411 inany one of the positions 1 to 9 and as required by the digit'value represented by the related denomination of the accumulator. A magnet 420 in the anode circuit of a control'triode 421, shown here as the left-hand triode of a twin triode, tube 422, of the aforementioned 2C51 type, will be energized to move 1 the pawl 415 out of engagement with the element 413 and free the manifesting wheel 411 and the scanning switch 412 for movement whenever the control triode 421' conducts.

Control triode 421, which controls the position of the pawl 415, has its anode connected over the Winding of magnet 420 to the terminal 423, to which +300 volts is applied, and has its cathode connected to ground over a resistor 424 of 3,900 ohms.

Grid 425 of triode 421 is connected to the read-out scanning switch 412 and has potential applied thereto as follows. The scanning switch 412, as it rotates, engages successively one after another of a series of contacts connected to digit-representing lines which are connected over resistors, as 426, of 2.2 megohms, to various ones of the anodes of the right and left triodes of the cascaded trigger pairs. Depending upon whether the trigger pairs are on or off, the anode potentials of their left and right triodes will be either at +250 volts or at a lower potential resulting from the drop across the anode resistors of conducting triodes. The pattern of the resistance network connections for each denominational order is shown clearly in the drawing and is so arranged that, for any digit represented by the combination of off and on conditions of the cascaded trigger pairs, the line corresponding to that digit will have a potential which is less positive than that of any other line. By adjusting the cathode potential of the triode 421, this least positive potential can be made to be the only one which will be effective to bias the triode 421 to cut-ofi, thereby deenergizing the magnet 420 and allowing the pawl 415 to engage in the notch in element 413. Accordingly, as the read-out scanning switch 412 is driven over its related contacts, it will apply their various potentials successively to the grid 425. 'The potentials which are more positive than the cut-off potential willnot bias the triode 421 to cut-off; accordingly, the scanning switch 412 will be driven until it engages the contact having this cut-ofl potential applied thereto, which potential is applied to the grid 425 of the triode 421 and biases the triode to cut-off, thereby releasing the pawl 415. Pawl 415, engaging the notch in the element 413, will stop the scanning switch 412 on the contact having this cut-off potential and will stop the digit-manifesting wheel 411 with the corresponding digit in reading position, as indicated by the arrow 427, where they remain as long as cut-off potential is applied to the grid of the control triode 421.

Any further entry in the denomination will change the combination of on and off conditions of the cascaded trigger pairs and will remove the cut-off bias from the control triode 421, allowing it to conduct again. This will energize magnet 420, which moves the pawl 415 from engagement with the element 413 and frees the digitmanifesting wheel 411 and the scanning switch 412 for further movement until the scanning switch engages another contact which is at cut-off potential.

The potential of the cathode of control triode 421 is adjusted by a second triode 430, which is the right triode of the twin triode, tube 422, connected to resistor 424. The anode of this second triode 430 is connected directly to the +300-volt terminal 423, and the cathode of the second triode 430 is connected to ground over the resistor 424.

Grid 431 of triode 430 derives its potential over an adjustable tap 432 from resistor 433, which is connected between the anode potential supply conductor 225, for the cascaded trigger pairs, and ground. By adjusting the tap 432, the potential on grid 431 can be made such that conduction in triode 430 willraise the potential of the cathode of triode 421 to a valuewhich will be less, positive than all but one of the potentials, the cut-otfpotential, which are applied to its grid 425 from the read-out scanning switch 412.

The second triode 430 has another very important function; namely, that of serving as va compensating means in the indicator control tube circuit to compensate for variations in potential applied to the anodes of the cascaded trigger pairs. Since the potentials sensed by the read-out scanning switch 412 and applied to the grid 425 are derived from the anode potential supply for the cascaded trigger pairs over conductor 225, variations in this potential would cause variation in the grid potential and possible misoperation of the digit-manifesting means. However, since the grid 431 of the second triode 430 is also supplied, through its tap 432 to resistor 433, with potential from the anode potential supply conductor 225, variations in the anode potential supply will cause a variation in the conductivity of the second triode 430, which will provide a compensating variation in the cathode potential of triode 421 to maintain the relation be tween the cathode and grid potentials of this triode substantially constant despite variation in the potential supplied to the anodes of the cascaded trigger pairs.

The digit-manifesting means for any other orders which might be provided in the accumulator, are controlled and operate in the same manner as described above.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of an electronic accumulator for providing the distinctive potential at any one of a plurality datarepresenting points, as other means for accomplishing this result also could be used. Nor is it to be understood that the invention is to be limited to the use of a numeral bearing indicating Wheel as the data manifesting device as other forms of manifesting devices which operate in synchronism with the sensing means and can be controlled to manifest data as the point with the distinctive potential is sensed also could be used.

While the form of the invention shown and described herein is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form or embodiment disclosed herein, for it is susceptible of embodiment of various other forms.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus having a circuit network for selectively assuming different operating conditions to represent data and including a resistance network containing a plurality of potential points whose potential will be varied according to the different operating conditions assumed by the circuit network, a different predetermined one of said points having a potential distinctive from the rest for each of said different operating conditions of the network; potential supply means for the circuit network; means operable to selectively manifest the data corresponding to the several diflerent operating conditions assumed by the circuit network, the combination of means for controlling the manifesting means including a device selectively operable to control the operation of the manifesting means, an operating potential supply for the device, and control means for controlling the operation of the device from the potential points of the network one after another according to the relation between the operating potential for the device and the potential at said potential points of said network to cause said manifesting means to make apparent data corresponding to the point in the network having the distinctive potential; further control means controlled by the potential supplied to the circuit network and operable by variations in the potential supplied to the network; and means connecting the further control means to the manifesting means control means to modify the operating potential applied to the device therein to compensate for variations in said distinctive potential which may be caused by variations in potential supplied to the circuit network, whereby the relation between the potential at the potential points of the network and the operating potential of the device in the manifesting means control means is maintained.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the control means in the manifesting means control means for controlling the device includes a scanning means for scanning the various potential points, in which the device in the control means is an electronic device having conduction control means therein connected to the scanning means for controlling conduction in the electronic device according to the potentials on the potential points as they are scanned, and in which the further control means includes a device subject to variations in potential supplied to the circuit network and, through the connection to the potential supply means for the electronic device in the manifesting means control means, controls the potentials applied to the electronic device to establish a normal bias condition with relation to the potential points and to compensate the normal bias condition for variations in said distinctive potential which are caused by variations in'the potential supplied to the circuit network.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the device in the manifesting means control means is an electronic device having at least an anode and a cathode and means to control conduction between the anode and the cathode and in which the control of the device by the potentials of the potential points in the resistance network includes means for applying the potentials of the potential points one after another to said conduction control means, and in which the further control means includes an instrumentality controlled by the potential supplied to the circuit network and operable through the connection to the manifesting means control means to control the potential of the cathode of the electronic device in the manifesting means control means to establish a normal bias condition between the cathode and the conduction control means of the electronic device and to vary the cathode potential according to variations in the potential supply of the circuit network and maintain the bias condition substantially normal regardless of said variations.

4. The combination claimed in claim 3 in which the instrumentality is an'electronic device having an anode, a cathode, and conduction control means, in which the control of the instrumentality from the potential supplied to the circuit network includes a connection from the conduction control means to a potential divider supplied with potential from the circuit network, and in which the connection from the further control means to the manifesting means control means to vary the cathode potential of the electronic device of the manifesting means control means is a connection from the cathode of the electronic device of' the instrumentality to the cathode of the electronic device of the manifesting means control means.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the device in the manifesting means control means is an electronic device having at least an anode, a cathode, and a means to control conduction between the anode and the cathode; in which the control for said device in the manifesting means control means includes sensing means connected to the conduction control means and operable to sense the potential points one after another and apply their potentials to the control means; in which the operating potential supply for said device extends to said anode and cathode and includes a cathode resistor; in which the further means includes an auxiliary electronic device having an anode, a cathode, and a conduction control means; in which the further means includes a voltage divider supplied by the circuit network potential supply means and connected to the conduction control means of the auxiliary electronic device to control conduction therein; and in which the connection from the further control means to the manifesting means control means extends from the cathode of the auxiliary electronic device to the cathode of the electronic device in the manifesting means control means, the conductivity in said auxiliary electronic device controlling the potential of the cathode of the electronic device of the manifesting means control means to establish a normal bias relation between the cathode and the conduction control means of that electronic device and to vary the potential of the cathode in accordance with variations in the potential supplied to the circuit network which also varies the potential of the various potential points in the resistance network.

6. In a manifesting device for making apparent the digits registered in a counting device, the combination of a counting device consisting of a plurality of electronic devices less in number than the number of digits in the notation in which counting is to take place, circuits interconnecting the electronic devices for progressively registering digits in response to input impulses, said digit registrations consisting of combinations of conducting and non-conducting conditions of the electronic devices, each of said electronic devices having an anode, cathode and control means and a separate anode resistance so that the potential of the anode will be low or high depending on the conducting or non-conducting condition of the electronic device, and means to supply anode potential to the electronic devices of the counting device; a conductor for each of the digits 1 to 9 and a resistance network connecting the anodes of the electronic devices selectively to the digit conductors, the connections of the resistance network between the anodes and selected ones of the conductors enabling the combination of conducting and non-conducting electronic devices which represents a particular digit to cause only the conductor corresponding to that digit to have a potential distinctive from the potential of the other conductors; the potentials of said conductors, being derived from anode potentials, varying with variations in the anode supply potentials for the electronic devices of the counting device; a digitmanifesting element operable to display the digits one after another in succession; sensing means to sense the potential of the conductors one after another in succession; means to operate the digit-manifesting element and the sensing means in synchronism; control means for controlling the operation of the digit-manifesting element and the sensing means, including a device connected to the sensing means to be controlled by the potential of the conductors and operable to cause the manifesting element to display the digit corresponding to the conductor having said distinctive potential; and further means controlled by the potential supplied to the anodes of the electronic devices of the counting device, for controlling the device in the control means to compensate for variations in said distinctive potential which are caused by variations in anode potential supplied to the electronic devices of the counting device.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 in which the device in the control means for controlling the operation of the digit-manifesting element and the sensing means is an electronic device having at least an anode and a cathode and means to control conduction in the device; and having an anode-cathode potential supply circuit including a cathode resistor; in which the connection between the device in the control means and the sensing means extends from the sensing means to the conduction control means of the device; and inwhich the further means includes a circuit arrangement to which the counting device anode potential is applied and which is connected to the cathode of the electronic device in the control means to determine the normal bias relation for that electronic device, and to vary the cathode potential according to variations in the counting device anode potential to maintain the bias relation substantially normal regardless of said variations.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 in which the circuit arrangement in the further means includes a potential divider supplied with potential from said counting device anode potential supply and includes a further electronic device having an anode, a cathode, and conduction control means, with its cathode connected to the cathode of the electronic device of the control means, and with its conduction control means connected to the potential divider to control conduction therein according to variations in the potential of said counting device anode potential supply.

9. In a manifesting device for making apparent the digits registered in a counting device, the combination of a counting device consisting of a plurality of tubes less in number than the number of digits, for representing the digits by combinations of conducting and nonconducting conditions of the tubes, each of said tubes having an anode, a cathode, and control means; means for supplying potential to said anodes, including a separate anode resistance for each tube so that the potential of the anodes will be low or high depending on the conducting or non-conducting condition of the related tubes; a potential terminal for each of the digits 1 to 9 and O; a resistance network connecting the anodes of the tubes selectively to the digit potential terminals, the connections of the resistance network between the anodes and the terminals enabling the combination of conducting and non-conducting tubes which represents a particular digit to cause only the potential terminal corresponding to that digit to have a potential distinctive from the potential of the other potential terminals; means for manifesting the digits, including a control means to which the potentials of the potential terminals are applied in succession to cause the digit corresponding to the potential point having the distinctive potential to be made apparent; and compensating means for said control means, controlled by the anode potential, to compensate for variations in said distinctive potential which are caused by variations in potential supplied to the plurality of tubes of the counting device.

(References on following page) 13 References Cited in the file of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTS 323%; Number Name Date 2,466,712 2,244,700 Horton June 10, 1941 5 2,502,360 2,308,778 Prince Ian. 19, 1943 2,556,614 2,400,574 Rea May 21, 1946 2,575,331

14 Name Date Mumma Aug. 13, 1946 Mumma June 1, 1948 Kenyon Apr. 12, 1949 Williams Mar. 28, 1950 Desch June 12, 1951 Compton Nov. 20, 1951 

